Stock car door



Sept. 13, 1932. F. M. GUNN 1,877,236

' STOCK GAR noon Filed May 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 igl- Jg-E- J Q. IFI%E.

INVENTOR- F1" 2 d M. Dunn ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 13, 1932. F. M. GUNN 1,877,236

STOCK CAR DOOR Filed May 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTOR'NEYS.

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 UNI-TED STATES OFFICE f:

m); M. GUNN, or'nr rAso, TEXAS; iissrenoir or JONE 'HA LF 'r'o PETER BARB G IO,

or-EL PASO, 'rnxas" j sroox OAR noon 7 1 Application filed May 16,

This invention relates to improvementsin car doors particularly well adapted for use upon freight carsused for the transportation of live stock. i p

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved type ofcar door for freight cars used for the transportation of live stock, which includes an upper sliding section and a lower pivoted section, the latter of which may be opened or closed'independently of the upper section, and which is of a nature to swing outwardly and be used as a'walk-way or track for passage of thestock from the car to a platform, cage, or load receiving vehicle; the said walk Way door section having novel means to insure eflicient retention until manually opened.

Otherobjects and advantages of this invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, ,7

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a freight car, showing the improved door in closed position thereon. V

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional View taken through the details of the car door, with the latter open at its lowersection. i

Figures 3 and 4 are enlarged sectional "viewstaken substantially on their respective lines in Figure 1 of the drawings.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of a supporting bracket of the door construction, at-

, tachable to one of the stationary door posts of the car.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of oneof Tithe door brackets which are attached to the lower door section and cooperate with. the

.member used to'hold the lowerjdoo r section of the car door construction in position against accidental or unauthorized opening.

the jamb only, 'and extendsfor slightly less than one-half the height of the doorway.

1929. Serial no. 363,672.

bo'diinent of the invention, the letter generally designate a car such as is used conventionally for carrying livestock, which supports thereon the improved door construc ftion consisting off 'the upper slidable xdoo'r section C and the lower door section I). 4 o

In connection with the lower door section I), which is hinged on a horizontal'pivot for swinging in a vertical plane outwardly from .the lower portion of the door opening ofthe car,there are provided right and left brackets 10, shown in perspectivein Figure '6 of the upon the side stiles or stationaryjambsi 12 delining the doorway. "Ihe doorwayl of 1 course extends from the vdoor sill 1 3 of the carto the door lintel l5 thereof.

The brackets each include a body portion 16 preferably ofmetal, which may be the like may be placed for 'eifec'tivelysecuring the bracket in place. Thesaid bracket lO'is preferably a casting,and' at its upper end it is flanged inri'ght angled relationtoprovide 'a'shelf 20, having a retaining lip 21 in'facing relation with the faceofthe door jamb. The

bracket is secured to thelower portionof drawings, which arepreferably attachable F Theupper door section C is provided" at the'upper corners thereof with roller or other type of slidesupporting brackets 25,Iwhich slidably engage upon a preferably horizontal trackway26 secured tothe 'car, externally thereof, below or adjacent the roof, or the eaves thereof. It is readily apparent that the door section ()is adapted to slide externally along the side of the car, to open or close theupper portion of the doorway. The lower portion of the door section C is held against swinging outward by the retaining lips 21, and in this connection it is noted that the lower edgeof' the upper door section C may rest upon or slide upon the shelf flanges '20 of the brackets 10, if desired, as shown in Figuresl and 2 of the drawings. In open or closed relation, one or the otherof the bracket lips 21 holds the upper door the side margins thereof.-

i st nroieqt ng sr t e e having elongated socket opening 31 facing towards the door opening. The two brackets 10 when in position have these elongated socket openings 31 facing each other inhorizonta-l align ment, and the elongation thereof is in averhtical direction. The said socket openings are adapted to receive the pivot pin extensions 33 whichhorizontally project at'thelower cor- :ners ofthe lower door'sectionj D; thesame ,being formed upon reinforcing brackets 35 which are secured to thedoor section D along 'Beferr'ing to the lower door sectionD, the same includes a body portion 40, havlng the angle pieces 35 riveted as at 37 to the margins thereof; the angle pieces 35 each including "front flanges 41 disposed over the front of the body lO, and mortised therein if desired,

- and the legs 12 arranged over the end edges jof the'body 40'. The said legs 42 are preferjablyprovided with flat right angled locking lugs 44, as shownin Figure 7. The lower end of each angle .35 isprovided with a solid cy ,l'indrical flange arranged along the bottom [atthe corner of the door body 40, andaxially aligning with the extending pintles 83.

A'transverse brace bar, rod or handle holding member 48 is secured as at'49, at its ends intermediate the ends thereof, to the body 40; at the ends" thereof being secured to the I angle pieces85. .This bar member 48 between itsends is providedwith handle portions,

I such as shown at "50 in Figure 2 of the draw {-ings.' These handle portions facilitate the lifting of-the door section D,.to connect and disconnect the" lugs 44 with the sockets providedtherefor in the brackets 10. The brackets lO' arc provided with suitable retaining flanges 50, at the edges thereoflremote from the door opening, which are spacedfrom the body 16, and also, are end I spaced to provide openings 51 through which the lockinglugs' ie may slip, whenithe door section D is held elevated, so that upon lower- ,ing of the door section D the locking lugs 44 slip behind the retaining flanges 50 to hold the door section D in a latched closed'position. a Each'of the brackets 10, at the tops thereof, is provided with a laterally extending hori- Zontal flange 60, projecting in a direction away from the doorway, which at the outer end thereof, provided with a depending flange extension 61.- The body 16 is open between the flange 61, as at 62 in Figure 5 of fflthe" drawings, forreceiving therein a detent 6 1 which is plvotedona pin 65 upon the flange 61. The detent 64 extends downwardly for swinging, and it is of the shape shown in Figure 3 and 5 of the drawings, By grav-'- ity it assumes the position where the lower end thereof just clears the top edge of the topmost retaining flange '50,; just above the top lug i i'behind said retaining flange 50, when the door section D is closed, as shown in Fig ure-.3. 0 hold the same in posltlonaga nst forward swinging away from the capers:

against the body 16 of the bracket 10, as shown 1n F igure 3, and thus locking means 18 provided, for in this position the door section D cannotbe lift-ed. from its latchedrelation with the bracket 10, as'is readily observable. To insure that the latch detent-64'cannot become displaced from the position shown in Figure 3, it is provided with alaterally eX- tending finger 70, having an opening 71-therein, which extends thru an arcuated'slot 72 in thewall or flange 61; said slot being eoncentrio with the, aXis of the pivot pin 65.- The bracket 10 below the arcuated slot 7 2 is provided with an outwardly extending retaining flange 7 1, arcuated in concentric relation with the slot 72, immediately therebelow; the same having a plurality of" openings '75 therein, which may be aligned with the opening 71, to

receive a retaining pin 78 therethrough. The 3 retaining pin 78 is of inverted e -shaped forduced shank 67 is provided, which abuts V mation', and iscon'nectedon the shorter leg with a chain 7 9' secured'at 80 to a side of the car. These, retaining pins are provided at each side of the car, for each of the detents 6 1, as shown in Figure 1. Of course, when the pin is threaded through the opening 75 closest to the planeof the body 16, and thru the opening 71, the latch will be held out of latching relation, and will permit the door to be lifted an-d'opened.

The operation of the invention will be apparent from the foregoing. The .lowerdoor "ios section D is provided with efficiently operated reinforcing and latching fixtures, to insure that the same will be fool-proof atall times.

- Variouschanges in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be made tov theform of invention herein shown and described,

without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a car door construction the combinat1on of a car having a door opening, an upper H door section,a lower door section, means connectlng the upper door section upon the car for movement with respect'to the doorway independently of the lower door section, and means mounting the lower door section at its lower end on a horizontal pivot normally below the top of the door sill for swinging in a vertical plane away from the doorway and into a horizontalv position substantially level with the top of said sill, said means permitting lifting of the lower door section pivot above its normal swinging axis, and said lower and upper door sections being relatively spaced at their facing edges to permit such lifting of the lower door section, and latch means to releasably hold the lower door section against lifting.

2. In a car door construction the combination of a car body having a doorway, a car door pivoted to the exterior of the car, for swinging ona horizontal axis normally below the top of the door sill, in such manner that the door may be bodily lifted above its normal pivoting axis, and interengaging latch details carried by the car and door relatively engageable to latch the door upon the car upon lifting of the car door above its normal pivot axis when the door is being brought to the final closed position with the axis below the top of the door sill.

8. In a car door construction of the class described a car body having an o ening therein, an upper door section mova le upon the car body for the upper portion of the doorway, a lower door section movable upon the car body for closing the lower portion of the doorway and being pivoted for swinging on a horizontal axis at the lower end of the doorway to open the lower portion of the doorway and to serve as a walk-away to and from the car, bracket means at opposite sides of the doorway including guide portions for guiding the movement of the upper door sec-' tion, and latch means on the bracket means I for holding the lower door section in a releasably closed position.

FRED M. GUNN. 

